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Mezze is widely served in the Greek and Middle eastern world. An assortment of little dishes and tasters which accompany a nice ouzo or a glass of wine. So when you read mezze moments you will have tasty snippets of life as I live it, India for four years and now Brisbane Australia, all served up with some Greek fervour and passion.

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Friday, 4 March 2011

Devanagari uncovered and shameless showcasing

A few days ago was pay day. My amazing helper signed for her salary and I stood looking at it for a while and said to her with the biggest smile on my face as if she had just paid me instead, " I can read what you have written."

That was quite magical for me. The uncovering of a whole new world and a whole new script. Its a pain in the neck to learn but I am getting there.

Talking about pains in the neck, this weekend the neighbourhood was all agog and distrupted with fireworks, traffic jams and very loud music at the wedding taking place between two wealthy families. I can understand why they want to give their children a good and happy start to their life but this, this was beyond the pale -

Why did I feel so affronted about this? After all weddings are so frequent around here and they are all noisy and joyous and highy decorated. This one was something else though and it leaves me open mouthed and unbelieving.Everyone has a right to do what they want with their money but those who hold public office should have a heightened sense of propriety and decency and charity.

A reported 100 crore (a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to ten million (10,000,000; 107), or 100 lakh )was allegedly spent on this wedding which included a seven seater helicopter as a present to the groom and a setting resembling Venice which took months of hard work to prepare. And just in case you are wondering what on earth 100 crore is, it is something in the region of 22 million dollars- even if it was 20 or 23 - it would not matter- the number is a shameful reminder of how money is spent in this emerging power, with little regard for the picture it paints to the rest of the world but more so to the average Indian who surely can no longer feel that this is an example he would want to follow nor dare I say would he be confident that this particular politician had his own interests uppermost at all times.